Shortly after owning we started noticing sporadic jerks between 24-29 mph that felt like a hard up shift. We immediately brought to our local Honda dealership where they performed a software update. We were told that the vehicle struggles to shift while under load. Recently our van was making a whining noise and seemed hard/delay to accelerate in drive as well as reverse. Almost felt like I was in neutral, but was not. NO warning lights were on, but something was not right so I went home. The next day it would not start and lit up every warning light. We had it towed to the dealership and was told battery was shot so they replaced. On way home it was still hard to accelerate so we brought it right back to the dealership and have been told a new transmission is needed. We have had all maintenance done at dealership prior to this. In fact, the vehicle was just in 3 weeks ago for an oil change and everything looked great. These issues have occurred without any warning lights or diagnostic alerts, making them unpredictable and dangerous. A transmission should not fail without any particular warning to the driver. It seems these transmissions have had a defect from the date of manufacturer that cause malfunctions, premature failing, costly repairs, and most important major safety concerns. Honda needs to be held accountable.
Honda Odyssey whining noise problems
83 of the 12,943 owner complaints about the Honda Odyssey describe whining or grinding noise, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 83
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical repair cost reported
- $750
- typical mileage
- 51,750
By model year
Often reported together
Transmission failure 12Steering noise 12Slipping 6Check engine light 5Power steering loss 4Shudder 3Loss of power 3Jerking 3
What owners say
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear drivers side sliding door failed to latch securely. The contact stated that when the driver’s side sliding door was closing, the contact heard a whining sound. In addition, the instrument cluster displayed a black screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 141,565.
When the temperature drops near 40f my steering makes a whining noise and looses fluid.
I purchased my 2015 honda odyssey brand new and have done all the maintenance on time with honda. My sliding doors do not stop if something is in the way. I have had multiple times where a child has tried to go in/out while the door is shutting and it has not stopped, this is a safety issue! Then in 2018 with only 32k miles or so I started to hear a squeal type noise at 2k RPM and about 60mph. It only happened a few times on the road trip then again on my next road trip. Honda looked at it and said they didn't know but the transmission fluid should be changed. It was changed at 29000 miles with the 30,000 mile maintenance. When it happened again on the freeway I took it in again, now at 47,000 miles. Honda says the transmission fluid is dirty and needs to have work done. 4 weeks later I am still waiting for local honda to get ok from head honda for fix of throttle control whine. Honda tech was able to hear the whine/squeal while driving it.
Purchased at 45,646 miles. Noticeable juttering at 15-40 MPH, most notably from 25-30 MPH and driving up hills faint whining noise. Dealer checking software update on transmission. Noticed on freeways and city streets.
Power steering stiff at low speeds or parking and very loud howling noise, mechanic state there is a recall but I do not see any, almost had numerous accidents due to this issue of stiff steering and unable to turn
My van makes a very loud whining noise when in motion and turning the wheel
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda odyssey. The vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 04v176000 (power train), which experienced heat build-up between the counter shaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission. The vehicle began to move slowly when transitioning from second to third gears prior to the repair. Once the vehicle was repaired, the failure recurred and the vehicle began to jerk when in second gear when or while driving 22 MPH or higher. The vehicle would also emit a whining sound under the hood of the vehicle. The brake warning light, the pcs warning light, and the engine warning light illuminated. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed a second time and the vehicle would no longer receive a repair under the recall. The contact had the vehicle diagnosed by two certified mechanics who stated the transmission failed, causing malfunctions when in second gear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000. Updated 06/17/16*lj
When we were traveling out west, we started to notice a distinct "whine" in the engine compartment. After returning home and having driven thousands of miles, we took the car to the dealer and discovered that the rear motor mount had broken and was causing the fan to make a noise when the engine itself "heaved" upon accelerating. It cost $1100 for the repair. I am filing this complaint because there are several similar complaints on here, and there probably should be a recall before someone gets seriously injured.
I have owned six honda odyssey's and the last three starting with the 2007 model all needed to have a new power steering pump because it starts to whine and not pump well. Previous models have all failed under warranty. I currently have a 2013 odyssey that has 41000 miles on it and once again the pump started e steering has given out twice in the last week. It is random and without warning all of a sudden I can't steer without great effort. I about got hit the first time as I was turning around on a main road and the steering just quit, no power steer at all. It usually recovers quickly but if I were not an experienced driver I would have been in two accidents because of this problem already. Honda will not replace their known defective pump under warranty because the car has over 36k miles. I think honda should replace the defective pump under warranty as this is not a new issue for them and I personally have had two of these vehicles since 2007 that have had a bad pump. This is a serious safety issue and perhaps honda needs some government help to be forced to deal with this issue that continues to plague their vehicles with a dangerous situation that needs corporate action to remedy.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey, and model year 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Risk
- If the gear selector is moved from the park position without pressing the brake pedal it can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated brake shift interlock blocking mechanism free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009. Honda's campaign recall numbers are S96, S97, and S98.
Recall number 13V143000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- On some mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
- Risk
- Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on april 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and mdx owners. Owners of the accord vehicles will start receiving letters on june 28, 2004, and on june 29, 2004, for owners of the tl and cl vehicles. Owners should contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009 or acura at 1‑800‑382‑2238.
Recall number 04V176000 · Recall details
Questions about the Honda Odyssey whining noise
Which Honda Odyssey years have whining or grinding noise problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (29 complaints), 2005 (19 complaints) and 2003 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix whining or grinding noise on the Honda Odyssey?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $750 (median of 19 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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